Nail.



Patented Dec. 5, 1899. C. S. FABRUW.

NAIL' (Application filed May 31, 1899.)

(No Model.)

NTED

CHARLES STEPHEN FARROW, OF EUGENE, OREGON.

NAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,386, dated December5, 1399.

Application filed May 31, 1899. Serial No. 718,835. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES STEPHEN FAR- ROW, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Eugene, in the countyof Lane and State of Oregon,have invented a new and useful Nail, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to nails, and is es pecially designed for use inconstructing board walks, bridges, the.

It is a well-known fact that the nails employed in securing the flooringto the stringers of a board walk and similar structures become loosenedunder the action of the weather and project up above theflooring-boards, causing damage and inconvenience to pedestrians andvehicles passing over the same.

In view of this difficulty the presentinvention has for its object toprovide a nail or fastening device which is not exposed through theupper face of the flooring and is prevented from becoming loosened andworking up out of the same.

A further object is to prevent the flooringboards from becoming warped.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of parts, as Will be hereinafter more fully described, shownin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is afragmentary sectional View takenlongitudinally through a stringer and showing the fasteneremployed tosecure adjacent flooring -boards to the stringer. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view thereof, taken on the line w to, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the fastener. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detailperspective views of modified forms of the invention. Fig. 7 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2, showing the application of the modified formillustrated in Fig. 6.

Oorrespondin g parts are designated by like reference characters in allthe figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a portion of thestringer having the adjacent flooring-boards 2 and 3 secured thereto bymeans of the present invention.

The simplest form of the device is shown in Fig. 3 and comprises astraight shank 4,

having at one end a transverse head 5, the extremity of which issharpened to provide a board-penetrating prong 6, and an eye 7 is formedat the opposite end of the shank, the opening of the eye being disposedtransversely of the prong.

In the application of the device the prong 6 is driven into one edge ofthe board 2, with the shank 4 lying flush against the adjacent side ofthe stringer 1, and then a suitable nail 8 is driven through the eye 7into the stringer. Thus the head of the device does not project abovethe board, but engages the same at the edge thereof, and the nailextending transverselyof the shank efiectively prevents upward movementof the latter. The fastening for the next adjacent board 3 is adapted toreceive the nail 8 through the eye 7 thereof prior to the securing ofsaid nail, and then the board 3is driven up against the prong of thefastener, and the contiguous sides of the adjacent boards areeffectively secured to the stringer. By this arrangement only one nail 8is required for each pair "of fastening devices.

The modification shown in Fig. 4 has the head 5 extending at oppositesides of the shank, and both ends are sharpened to provide two prongsextending in opposite directions from the same end of the shank,wherebya single fastening may be employed to secure the contiguous sides ofadjacent boards.

Another modification is shown in Fig. 5, having the transverse head 5extending at opposite sides of the shank and provided with the prongs 6;but in this form the prongs extend at right angles to the head and inopposite directions therefrom. This latter form is also adapted tofasten two adjacent boards, as will be understood.

The modification shown in Fig. 6 com prises the shank 4, the head 5, andthe prong 6; but instead of the eye 7 it is provided with a prong 9 atthe opposite lower end of the shank and extending at right angles to theupper-prong.

As illustrated in Fig. 7, this latter form is designed to be used incombination with the simplest form, (shown in Fig. 3,) the prong 9 beingdriven through the eye of the first form into the stringer 1 in themanner of the nail 8, thereby dispensing with said separate nail, andthe prong 6 engaging the board 3, as hereinbefore described.

In the form of nail shown in Fig. 3 one end of the head 5, opposite theprong 6, forms a drivingshoulder, which is adapted to be struck byahammer or the like when forcing the board-penetrating prong into theedge of the board, while in the form shown in Fig. 5 the opposite sidesof the head 5, at opposite ends thereof in longitudinal alinement withthe respective prongs, form similar drivingshoulders. The other formshown in Fig. 4 is adapted to be struck at'a point immediately below theprongs and upon either longitudinal edge of the shank thereof, so thateach form has a driving-shoulder located adjacent to thewood-penetrating prong.

It will be noted that each of the three forms comprises a shank havingat one end a transverse head provided with a prong and an eye providedat the opposite end of the shank. Furthermore, the eye 7 in each formhas its opening disposed transversely of the prong, so that the nail 8may be received through the eye transversely of the prong to provide apositive and substantial anchorage for the device.

By reason of the fastening device engaging the boards at the extremeedges thereof the latter are at all times held flat against thestringer, and the boards are thereby prevented from warping, as will beunderstood.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this invention.

What I claim is- 1. A device for fastening boards to stringers orthelike, comprisinga shank to be placed alongside of the stringer andbetween adjacent boards, said shank having a board-penetrating prong atone end, extending at substantially right angles thereto, and to bedriven int-o the edge of a board, and an eye located at the opposite endof the shank, and disposed at substantially right angles to the prong,in combination with separate means to be driven transversely through theeye and into the stringer, and disposed at substantially right angles tothe prong, substantially as shown and described.

2. A device for fastening boards to stringers or the like, comprisingashank to be placed alongside of the stringer and between adjacentboards, said shank having a board-penetrating prong at one end,extending at substantially right angles thereto, and to be driven intothe edge of a board, a drivingshoulder located adjacent to one end ofthe prong and alined longitudinally thereof, and an eye located at theopposite end of the shank and at substantially right angles to theprong, in combination with separate means to be driven transverselythrough the eye and into the stringer, and disposed at substantiallyright angles to the prong, substantially as shown and described.

3. A fastening device of the class described, comprising a pair ofshanks, each shank having a transverse prong at one end thereof, theprongs extending outwardly in opposite directions, and means connectingthe opposite ends of the shanks, extending at substantially right anglesto the prongs, and supporting the device in place, substantially asshown and described.

at. A fastening device of the class described, comprising'alaterally-pronged shank, having an eye located at one end thereof and atsub stantially right angles to the prong, in combination with separatemeans adapted to be driven transversely through the eye, and comprisinga shank having prongs at opposite ends thereof and extending atsubstantially right angles to each other, one of the prongs beingadapted to be driven transversely through the eye of the former shank,and the opposite prong being located adjacent to, and extending inopposite directions from the prong of the former shank, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES STEPHEN FARROW.

Witnesses:

E. M. LEE, L. H. J OHNSON.

